Irene van Dyk has undertaken a series of coaching clinics for children, coaches and teachers in Jamaica. The clinics helped to promote the importance of healthy lifestyles. They took place at the National Arena, Independence Park in Kingston between the 15-17th August 2018.
Irene van Dyk’s career as an international netball player puts her in the record books and her impact on the way the game is played, both in New Zealand and around the world has been immense. Now retired from International Netball she remains the world’s most capped netballer. In 2009, Irene was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to Netball.
New Zealand High Commissioner to Jamaica His Excellency Daniel Mellsop said “I am delighted that Irene is visiting Jamaica which supports our shared sporting values and as a mechanism to empower young women”.
Dr Paula Daley-Morris, President of Netball Jamaica, in expressing her gratitude for the partnership said “We are elated to collaborate with His Excellency Daniel Mellsop and his team at this time. The people of Jamaica, particularly, the Netball Jamaica fraternity are immensely grateful for this contribution to the development of the sport. Irene’s visit to Jamaica is extremely timely as, 59 years ago, when the Jamaica Netball Association was founded, the first coach to lead a New Zealand team to World Cup Victory in 1967, Taini Jamison (1967-1971), reportedly, visited our shores to assist founder, Ms. Leila Robinson with the training of coaches for the game.
August 15th 2018, the first day of the “Joy Watson Pickney Netball Seminar”, also marks the beginning of Netball Jamaica’s 60th Anniversary celebrations. It is truly befitting that 59 years later, another New Zealander has joined us on our shores as we mark this momentous occasion. Surely, there is no better way to signal our progress in sport than with the passing on of the coaching knowledge of the world renowned netballer, Irene van Dyk to “Jamaican Pickney Netballers” and their coaches.
Funding for the visit was provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade with considerable support from Netball Jamaica and Netball New Zealand.
Image credit – Netball New Zealand